Journal box, bearing, wheel, and axle assembly



Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS R. COOK, OF SCR-ANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- TO THE HUDSON COALCOMPANY, OF SCR/ANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

JOURNAL BOX, BEARING, WHEEL, AND AXLE ASSEMBLY.

Application filed March 2S, 1927.

n The invention is intended primarily for use with mine cars, and itsobject is to provide a new and improved assemblage of journal box,oil-lubricated bearing, axle, and grease-lubricated wheel, in which someof the grease which is forced into a recess in the wheel to lubricatethe latter and the axle` creeps along said axle into a shroud on thejournal box, this grease serving to lubricate thrust means within theshroud, acting to exclude foreign mat-ter and serving to prevent escapeof oil which would otherwise find its way from the journal box along theaxle.

Vith the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subjectmattei' hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing in which a sectional View, partly in elevation, isillustrated.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral l designates ajournal box of known construction, said box containing a. bearing 2, andbe-ing provided with a removable plug 3 for the introduction of oil tolubricate the bearing. The inner end of the journal box l is providedwith a suitable closure 4 having an opening` 5 through which the axle 6entersv the box. Thrust washers 7 contact with thisv inner end of thejournal box and while one of these washers is usually held againstrotation, the others are free to rotate. The washers 7 also abut one endof the hub 8 of the wheel 9, and said washers and the adjacent portionof the hub 8, are surrounded by an annular shroud lO formed on the innerend of the journal box l, this shroud being outwardly spaced from thehub, but at its outer end, that is the end remote from the major portionof the journal box, being provided with a continuous flange 1l whichprojects inwardly to the periphery of said hub.

The hub 8 is rotatable upon the axle 6 and is provided with a recess l2communicating with its axle-receiving bore 13. A passage 14 is formed inthe hub for the purpose of forcing hard grease into the recess l2, saidpassage being normally closed by a plug l5. This grease serves not onlyto lubricate the contacting portions of the hub and axle, but performsanother function to be hereinafter explained.

Serial No. 179,016.

tween t-he washers 7 and into the shroud 10.

This grease thus serves to lubricate the washers and the parts withwhich they contact and moreover, this grease acts to pack the shroud l()against entrance of foregn matter. Also, by having the shroud packedwith hard grease in this manner. oil is prevented from creeping alongthe axle, out of the journal box l and hence loss of oil by leakage isprevented. The rotating` washers tend to move some of the greaseoutwardly by centrifugal force which is contrary to the direct-ion whichforeign matter must take to enter the journal box and bearing, and henceall such matter is effectively excluded.

I am aware that it is not new in the art to employ lubricated journalbox bearings, that the use of the thrust washers 7 is not new, and thatwheels rotatable upon the axle have heretofore been used. However, theunique assemblyv of parts, whereby the grease from the lubricatingrecess of the wheel hub prevents the entrance of foreign matter into thebearing and also prevents the loss of lubricating oil therefrom, is newin so far as I am advised, and it is this organization of parts whichconstitutes the gist of my invention.

I claim:

An assemblage of the class described comprising a journal box having anoil-filled reservoir and a bearing supplied with oil from saidreservoir, an axle extending into said journal box and bearing, thrustmeans on the axle abutting one end of the journal box, a wheel whose hubis loose on the axle and abuts said thrust means, the aforesaid end ofsaid journal box being provided with a shroud which surrounds theaforesaid thrust means and the adjacent end of said huh, said hub havinga recess n communicatlon Wlth lts lnterlor7 and a hard grease filhng 1nsaid recess, sald hard grease lhng servmg not only to lubrleate the huhand axle but belng adapted to creep out oft the hub anto the aforesaldshroud to hrhrleate the atoresard thrust means, to pack sald shroudagainst entrance of foreign matter and to prevent leakage of oil fromthe journal box along` the axle. '1"' In testimony whereof have hereuntoaf-k 'xed my signature.

THOMAS n. Coon.

